▲ This photo, carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on Sept. 4, 2025, shows the North's leader Kim Jong-un (L) shaking hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin as they met the previous day in Beijing on the sidelines of China's military parade. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
▲ This photo, carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on Sept. 4, 2025, shows the North's leader Kim Jong-un (L) holding talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin as they met the previous day in Beijing on the sidelines of China's military parade. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
▲ This photo, carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on Sept. 4, 2025, shows the North's leader Kim Jong-un (R, front), Chinese President Xi Jinping (C) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (L, front) watching China's military parade in Beijing the previous day to mark the 80th anniversary of what China describes as its victory against Japan and the end of World War II (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

(2nd LD) NK leader-Putin

(2nd LD) Kim, Putin discuss 'long-term' plan for bilateral cooperation: KCNA

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details in paras 9-12)

By Kim Soo-yeon

SEOUL, Sept. 4 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin have discussed "long-term" plans for cooperation between the two nations during their talks in Beijing on the sidelines of China's military parade, state media reported Thursday.

The summit took place hours after Kim and Putin attended China's large-scale military parade the previous day, together with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Kim and Putin "discussed in detail the long-term plans for cooperation between the two countries and reaffirmed their steadfast will to continue to lead the bilateral relations to a high level," according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Calling the bilateral ties "special ones of trust, friendship and alliance," Putin said Russia will "always remember" sacrifices by North Korean troops deployed for Moscow's war with Ukraine, it said.

Kim said the North will "fully" support Russia's efforts to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, stressing his country considers it a "fraternal duty" to provide assistance to Moscow.

The two leaders also had "an open-minded exchange" of views on important international and regional issues, the KCNA said, without elaborating.

Russian media reports said Wednesday that Putin invited Kim to visit Russian again, but the North's state media did not report on it.

The Kim-Putin talks came amid attention over how deepening military cooperation between the two countries will evolve as expectations are growing that Russia's war with Ukraine may conclude in the near future.

At the start of the meeting, Putin said the North's troops took part in the liberation of the front-line Kursk region, driven by Kim's "personal initiative," according to Russia's Tass news agency.

Since October last year, North Korea has sent around 15,000 troops to aid Russia's war efforts, according to South Korea's spy agency.

The North is likely to additionally send some 6,000 soldiers to Russia in its third batch of troop deployment, the National Intelligence Service said Tuesday, noting around 1,000 combat engineers have already arrived in Russia.

The agency also estimated around 2,000 North Korean troops dispatched for the war have been killed so far.

Kim made his debut on the multilateral diplomatic stage by standing alongside Xi and Putin at China's celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of what it describes as victory against Japan and the end of World War II.

The trio coming together at the rostrum of Tiananmen Square was a symbolic scene displaying a united front of the three countries against the United States.

(END)

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